Original Author: Zyraen
Mod Website: Spellhold Studios
Mod Forum: Beyond the Law
📥 Download the mod at Spellhold Studios
This mod introduces two joinable NPCs, Kova and Kiyone, to your game.
- Kova is a Chaotic Good Half-Elf mage/thief with an unsavoury background and good heart (or so he claims).
- Kiyone is a Lawful Good Half-Elf female, law-enforcing, impartial (or so she claims) archer.
They will only show up if:
- Your character is of either good or neutral alignment.
- Your character's reputation rises above 12 and you are still in Chapter 2.
This mod looks into proving one man's innocence against the odds, and highlights the unlikely yet strong bond formed between the two people, so different yet so much alike.
BTL also examines many of our concepts of good & evil, right & wrong, justice & forgiveness, courage & despair, means & ends, and most importantly, perhaps, what it means to really live, and to find a purpose in that, amidst this journey of self-discovery between these two NPCs.
What is/isn't in this release?
- Extensive quest involving the NPCs, from chapter 2 to 6, with roughly 7 separate parts.
- Interjections up until ToB (mod content will end after leaving Suldanessellar).
- Interjections have been done for ALL Major (and most Minor) quests that are not NPC-specific and non stronghold-related quests in SoA.
- Over 75 banters with 1205 lines (approx) with Bioware NPCs.
- Over 446 interjections with 975 lines (approx).
- Over 30 banters with over 650 lines (approx) between the 2 NPCs (these were the figures for the Beta, which are less than for the SoA Release).
- 3 banters for both Kova and Kiyone with the Player.
- Interjections for Watcher's Keep.
- Original sound set for Kiyone - also has FEMALE4 sound set voicing in an optional component.
- Original sound set for Kova.
- 2 BGMs for the banters.
- 2 extended BGMs for particular events in the mod.
- More than 4 cutscenes throughout the mod.
- No voiced lines just yet.
- Enhanced Statue of Riddles has been removed, as it has been included under Zyraen’s Miscellany Mod.
What kind of person would enjoy this mod?
You probably NEED to be this kind of person to ENJOY playing the mod to any extent, namely someone who
- likes a serious mod and not a joke mod.
- likes reading quite a bit to enjoy in-depth banters.
- enjoys observing character development in other characters, especially Bioware ones.
- enjoys some degree of combat OR doesn't rest much in the game.
- willing to make do with bugs showing up, especially when the mod was done and tested on a heavily modded version of ToB.
To get the most out of this mod, it is recommended that you try to have your party as full of Bioware NPCs as possible. In terms of banter quality, I would recommend the following NPCs for positions in your party, in no particular order of preference:
- Mazzy
- Keldorn
- Jaheira
- Valygar
- Minsc
- Viconia
- Anomen
- Aerie
- Imoen
- Yoshimo
This mod is designed to work on the following Infinity Engine games:
- Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition (BG2EE).
- The original Baldur's Gate II (BG2, or just SoA) with the Throne of Bhaal (ToB) expansion. Make sure you have Throne of Bhaal patched to version 26498. Check the ReadMe files related to your patch in your game folder and the BioWare website if necessary.
- The conversion projects based on ToB: Baldur's Gate Trilogy (BGT) and Enhanced Edition Trilogy (EET).
This is a WeiDU mod, and therefore should be compatible with all WeiDU mods. However, we cannot test every single one. If you encounter any bugs, please report them on the mod forum!.
Original game players are strongly recommended to download and install the latest version of the BG2 Fixpack before proceeding with the installation of this mod.
Here is the recommended installation order:
- Please install Beyond the Law after TobEx, BG2 Fixpack, and EET.
- Please install Beyond the Law before EET_End, and any final "biffing" routines.
If you've previously installed the mod, remove it before extracting the new version. To do this, run setup-btl.exe, un-install all previously installed components and delete the 📁 btl folder.
When installing or un-installing, do not close the DOS window by clicking on the X button! Instead, press the Enter key whenever instructed to do so.
Disable any antivirus or other memory-resident software before installing this or any other mod. Some (particularly avast and Norton!) have a tendency to report false positives with mod activity, resulting in failed installs.
The Enhanced Editions are actively supported games. Please note that every patch update will wipe your current mod setup! If in the middle of a modded game you might want to delay the patch update (if possible) as even after reinstalling the mods, you might not be able to continue with your old save games. Alternatively, copy the whole game's folder into a new one that can be modded and will stay untouched by game patches. It is important that you install the mod to the language version you are playing the game in. Otherwise, the dialogues of the mod will not show but give error messages.
Beyond the Law for Windows is distributed as an extractable compressed archive and includes a WeiDU installer.
Extract the contents of the mod archive into the folder of the game you wish to modify (the folder which contains the "CHITIN.KEY" file), using 7zip, WinRAR, or another file compression utility that handles .zip files. On successful extraction, there should be a 📁 btl folder and a setup-btl.exe file in your game folder. To install, simply double-click setup-btl.exe and follow the instructions on screen.
Run setup-btl.exe in your game folder to reinstall, un-install or otherwise change the components settings.
Beyond the Law for Mac OS is distributed is distributed in the same compressed archive and includes a WeiDU installer.
First, extract the files from the archive into your game directory. On successful extraction, there should be a 📁 btl folder, setup-btl and setup-btl.command files in your game folder. To install, simply double-click setup-btl.command and follow the instructions on screen.
Run setup-btl.command in your game folder to reinstall, un-install or otherwise change the components settings.
Beyond the Law for Linux is distributed in the same compressed archive and does not include a WeiDU installer.
Extract the contents of the mod to the folder of the game you wish to modify.
Download the latest version of WeiDU for Linux from WeiDU.org and copy weidu and weinstall to /usr/bin. Following that, open a terminal, cd to your game installation directory, run tolower and answer 'Y' to both queries. You can avoid running the second option (linux.ini) if you've already ran it once in the same directory. To save time, the archive is already tolowered, so there's no need to run the first option (lowercasing file names) either if you've extracted only this mod since the last time you lowercased file names. If you're unsure, running tolower and choosing both options is the safe bet.
To install, run weinstall setup-btl in your game folder. Then run wine bgmain.exe (or wine baldur.exe for EE games) and start playing.
In addition to the methods above for removing individual components, you can completely un-install the mod using setup-btl --uninstall at the command line to remove all components without wading through prompts.
Kiyone will show up and speak to you when your reputation first hits 13 after the mod is installed, and if you are still in Chapter 2. From there Kova will show up.
| Portrait | Strength | Dexterity | Constitution | Intelligence | Wisdom | Charisma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kiyone |
15 |
17 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
12 |
|
Biography: When asked about her roots, Kiyone always brings up first her place within a cadre of rangers known as the Sentinels in the north, apparently a rather newly formed group. She recalls the group being a lot smaller when she was under their care, and how, under their instruction, she had become the top ranger in her cohort for her rather large batch. She has since served as a tracker, investigator and magistrate on various occasions, typically for more challenging cases. Her accounts almost never focus on her considerable combat prowess, but instead emphasise the importance of discernment and deduction in bringing to light the true nature of a case. |
||||||
 Kova |
14 |
17 |
12 |
17 |
10 |
11 |
|
Biography: It is with an overly nonchalant tone that Kova speaks of his being brought up in the Shadow Thieves as a young street urchin, and becoming a proficient thief with a distinctive lack of pleasure for vices. He claims his intelligence allowed him to survive the intrigue without having to resort to knifing others, and books and equipment were generally what he spent his "income" on. He had leaped at a chance to join the Cowled Wizards as a mole so that he'd be out from among the lawless ways of the Thieves, but he became equally dissatisfied with Enforcer assignments and spent his time buried in magical libraries furthering his thirst for knowledge, in the hopes of finding some way to be rid of his current situation and his past. |
||||||
Kiyone is a top ranger from a group called the Sentinels, with a reputation for being an investigator, tracker, and a capable judge, and was sent South to assist Magistrate Bylanna in hunting down an elusive criminal known as Kova. As a person she is fixated on righteousness, truth and law, and is focused and pragmatic, and her view of emotions is that they only serve to ruin objective judgement and cloud the truth, though she does use them to encourage allies and to ensnare villains. Even as she seeks to uncover the truth behind the case, perhaps she will learn more than she ever wanted to about what she stands for and what it means to be alive.
Kova is a man wanted by many powerful organisations for a variety of crimes he claims he didn't commit, and comes across as cynical and sardonic, unwilling to open himself to others except through jibes of sorts, with a tendency to cautious unenthusiasm about adventuring heroics. He despises himself for being "good", especially as he has been far from it almost from birth, but deep down he hopes against hope that there is a way out, and that there is some truth in the world after all. These same feelings take him down a road he feels would certainly lead to his demise, and for that he despises them even the more.
The quest is slated to run from chapter 2 to 6, and involves 7 separate parts, each with its own rewards, but interlinked nonetheless into a case that only goes to show more about the power play between the Shadow Thieves and the Cowled Wizards, the pliable nature of the law-enforcers in Athkatla and further insights into why certain things happened to certain NPCs, such as:
- How did Renal come to be informed of Mae'Var's designs?
- Why did Edwin want Rayic dead, and why was he in Mae'var's Guild?
- Why was Rayic protecting himself so extremely?
- Was Jermien building a golem simply to protect his daughter?
Select the character and press "F" to invoke the strings fixer.
As of v2.0.0, the installer offers two main sub-components, letting the players decide which one they want to install.
[0-1] Beyond the Law - Kova & Kiyone (Main component)
[0] Beyond the Law with Kiyone original sound set
[1] Beyond the Law with alternate sound set for Kiyone (Female4)
➽ This is the main component that adds Kova and Kiyone to the game.
[2] Better balanced BTL items
➽ This optional component nerves Kova and Kiyone's equipment.
Their weapons and armor are arranged so that (once upgraded) they are among the best items you can give to them. This gives the player more reason to leave them on the NPCs, giving them a consistent look and feel throughout the game. If you find them too powerful, please install this component, though that probably will mean their look and feel in the game will not be quite so consistent.
Q: Where can I find Kiyone or Kova?
A: You can't find her - she will show up and speak to you when your reputation first hits 13 after the mod is installed, and if you are still in Chapter 2. From there Kova will show up.
Q: Can I romance Kiyone or Kova?
A: No.
Q: Can I bring Kiyone along to Chapter 3 and further without bringing Kova along?
A: No. (or rather, it should not happen)
Q: Can I have Kova in the party without Kiyone? A: No.
Q: After Kiyone joined me, I still can't find Kova on the map he is supposed to be on. Where is he?
A: He is fishing close to the middle of the far left side of the map.
Q: Can I have low reputation and still keep them?
A: No. They are scripted to leave your party once your reputation drops to a certain low level.
Q: Kiyone and/or Kova left my party suddenly for some reason. Can I get them back?
A: In general, they only will remain in the game IF they leave your party as a result of you asking them to leave. Otherwise they are permanently removed from the game and will not return.
Q: I think I messed up a segment of the BTL quest. Will I still be able to play the other parts?
A: Not entirely. While you can still experience Parts 1-4 in varying degrees, it is very probable you will miss Part 5 onwards.
Note that messing up Renal's quest against Mae'Var will also prevent you from finishing the quest properly. If you have other mods installed that allow you to side with Mae'Var, it is recommended that you do not side with him.
Q: I think their items are a bit too powerful for my taste. Why did you make them so?
A: Their weapons and armor are arranged so that (once upgraded) they are among the best items you can give to them. This gives the player more reason to leave them on the NPCs, giving them a consistent look and feel throughout the game.
If you find them too powerful, install the component "Better balanced BTL items", though that probably will mean their look and feel in the game will not be quite so consistent.
Q: Why aren't the lines in the mod voiced?
A: This sound set of Kiyone by Celosia is the only sound set that I felt suited Kiyone, but unfortunately since she sent me this sound set, Celosia has been un-contactable. Since none of Kiyone's lines are voiced, I did not voice any of Kova's lines either to make it consistent. I am still looking for a voice actress for Kiyone.
Q: Can I stop the thieves from coming after me?
A: No. You can however reduce the frequency of their attacks.
Q: >Q: Can I stop the wizards from coming after me?
A: Yes, but only for a time, and at a hefty price. Go to Corneil and find out.
Q: Can I stop the guards and knights from coming after me?
A: Yes, by finding and submitting new evidence to Bylanna's messenger. Try not to give anything directly to Bylanna
Q: Must I hold on to all these scraps and stuff that I've found about the quest?
A: No. You can discard them in most cases.
Q: What if I don't want to go back to Brynnlaw after Spellhold?
A: It is highly recommended that you do.
Q: Can I change Kova / Kiyone's class/stats along the way using ShadowKeeper?
A: You can, but it isn't recommended. If you change Stats make sure the stats go Up and not Down, or they might not be able to use their own custom items. If you change their class, some later actions and bonuses may seem very strange, or fail to execute properly.
Q: Must I restart a new game if I install a newer version of BTL over this beta installation?
A: No. Unless you continued playing after you should have stopped, ie gave the Lanthorn to Elhan, you should not miss any mod content.
Q: Can I affect the interactions between Kiyone and Kova?
A: Yes, but only to a limited extent. The ultimate outcome between them though lies on how well their case is handled and how far their relationship has developed. If there is no conclusive closure to their case, then certain things will not happen between them.
Q: Why is it BTL but the folder is aD&L and the executables etc are prefixed "aD&L"?
A: aD&L was the original name I gave to it, representing 'Darkness & Light', a fanfic I wrote from which Kova and Kiyone are taken from. "a" is simply a prefix to put it at the front and top of my BG2 directory etc so I could easily edit/access it. I had been working on the mod for a while before I decided to call it Beyond The Law.
Note: Now it is setup-btl, though the folder is still aD&L.
Q: I've handled the quest well (I think) but nothing happens between them?
A: One possibility is that the quest was not handled well-enough.
The other possibility is that Kiyone and Kova have not developed their relationship fully BEFORE the conclusion of their case, and you probably just need to give them more time to each other before closing the case. If you are impatient, use of CLUAConsole:AdvanceRealTime(500000) is recommended.
Author: Zyraen
📄 Details here.
- WeiDU, by Wes Weimer, the bigg and Wisp.
- Near Infinity, by Jon Olav Hauglid, FredSRichardson, and Argent77.
- IESDP, maintained by igi and lynx.
- DLTCEP, by Avenger..
- Notepad++, by the Notepad++ team, Don Ho, and the spellcheck plug-in.
- WeiDU Notepad++ Highlighters, by Argent77.
- Infinity Auto Packager, by AL|EN.
Beyond the Law is not developed, supported, or endorsed by BioWare™ or Interplay/BlackIsle, Overhaul, Beamdog or the Wizards of the Coast. It was developed by Zyraen, based on material from the game Baldur's Gate and its expansion.
Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal © TSR, Inc. The BioWare Infinity Engine is © BioWare Corp. All other trademarks and copyrights are property of their respective owners.
This mod was created to be freely enjoyed by all Baldur's Gate players, and its content is free of rights. Please note that any and all redistribution and/or hosting of this mod is prohibited without permission from the authors.
The modding community for the Infinity Engine has been going strong for more than 10 years now, and is the culmination of thousands of unpaid modding hours by fellow fans of the game. Modders produce their best work and players get the best, well-supported mods when we all work together.
There are two big ways to upset this harmony. One is to claim someone else's work as your own. The second is to host and redistribute a mod without permission from the author.
- Added btl.ini metadata file (including dynamic install order syntax and global
LABELS) to support AL|EN's "Project Infinity". - Renamed setup-BTL.tp2 -> btl.tp2 and moved it to mod top folder to support AL|EN's "Project Infinity".
- Replaced
AUTHORkeyword withSUPPORT. - Added
VERSIONflag. - Added
READMEcommand. - Added Immutability concept.
- Replaced
REQUIRE_FILEwithREQUIRE_PREDICATEcondition to avoid installing the mod in inaccurate games. - Added components
DESIGNATEDnumbers. - Externalized tp2 code into specific components .tpa libraries for more comfortable readability and maintenance.
- Commented code as much as possible.
- Grouped original and vanilla sound sets for Kiyone into two main
SUBCOMPONENTS. - Included optional "Portraits for minor non-joinable BTL NPCs" component into main component as two portraits really don't deserve a dedicated component! 😉
- Added native BG2:EE and EET compatibility (thanks Austin and Gwendoyne):
- Added WeiDU's built-in
HANDLE_CHARSETSfunction to convert string entries for EE games. - Rewrote sound sets installation procedure to use WeiDU's built-in
HANDLE_AUDIOfunction. - Added
ADD_JOURNALentries. - Added chapters continuity for EET games.
- Removed items usability restriction flags in description for EE games with
GW_UPDATE_ITM_DESCRIPTION_TO_EEWeiDU function. - Added special item usability restrictions (EE games) with
GW_ITEM_RESTRICT_USABILITY_EEWeiDU function. - Provided accurate sized NPC portraits for EE games, and renamed large portraits in epilogue files.
- Added WeiDU's built-in
- Included all BWP Fixpack fixes:
- "start.baf": Hoppy's BGT compatibility fix start preventing Kiyone from showing up in the BG1 part meeting the alignment, rep requirements and chapter 2. Revamped by Gwendolyne for compatibility with EET and oBG2 games.
- "z#1002.baf": Lollorian's methodical
OnCreation()removal from blocks that have a LOCALS/GLOBAL associated with them. - "z#2801.baf": agb1's
Face()->FaceObject()conversion. - "items.d": Lollorian's small typo fixes (also renamed "gthac.spl" to "z#gthac.spl").
- Appended "tooltip.2da" whenever relevant.
- Fixed items descriptions and typos.
- Split setup.tra files into separate thematic files for more comfortable readability.
- Completed mod traification.
- Re-formated, updated and renamed readme file to btl-readme-english.html, then moved it into new 📁 "readme" folder.
- Removed useless files and 📁 "backup" folder.
- Reorganized mod architecture tree: created or renamed folders to sort files according to their types.
- Lower cased files.
- Included Linux and Mac OS versions in the same package (thanks AL|EN's Infinity Auto Packager tool!).
- Updated OggDec to v1.9.7 and added sox v14.4.1 for mac.
- Added archive libiconv-1.9.2-1-src.7z with iconv license info.
- Updated WeiDU installer to v247.
- Uploaded mod to official Spellhold Studios GitHub mirror account.
- "InterJ.d": Fixed typo of
~=InParty. - Banter Intervals between Kova and Kiyone reduced to slightly under 1/3 of previous interval.
- Minimum Banter Intervals shortened to negligible.
- Final Banter between the two of them being friends should not repeat anymore.
- Loading area for the Finale of BTL has been resolved.
- Updated WeiDU installer to v203.
📄 Details here.
📄 Details here.
- Initial release.